Keller @ Large: Politics Isn’t Everything

BOSTON (CBS) – It was an intense, draining election, followed by a rocky transition. So has all this has taken a toll on your personal life?

If so, you’re not alone.

According to a new national poll taken over the three weeks leading up to inauguration day, the number of people reporting serious arguments with family and friends was up significantly over last fall, at the peak of the campaign.

Sixteen-percent of those polled say they have flat-out stopped speaking to a close friend or family member because of political disagreements. That number jumps to 22 percent among Hillary Clinton voters. And another 13 percent say they’ve actually ended a relationship with a relative or friend over all of this.

These findings are disturbing.

Normally after an election, people put it behind them and more or less close ranks behind the new president, who enjoys a honeymoon that typically spots him an approval rating well over 50 percent.

But not this time.

Donald Trump took office with the lowest ratings in modern times. And I’ve seen nothing over the first angry weeks of his presidency to suggest any kind of healing anytime soon.

Part of this is Trump’s own fault.

While most presidents-elect immediately shift out of campaign mode into a more conciliatory, statesmanlike posture, Trump continues to pick petty fights and bait his enemies. Some of it is the fault of harsh partisans on both sides and an internet culture that nurtures lies and hate.

But the bottom line is, politics isn’t everything.

We all have the power to overcome political differences and find our common humanity – if we choose to use it.